CNN’s Laura Coates Torpedoes Geraldo’s Claim Trump Jan 6 Felony Charges ‘Smack of Double Jeopardy’ — In 3 Seconds Flat
CNN anchor and legal expert Laura Coates torpedoed Geraldo Rivera’s claim that former President Donald Trump’s January 6 felony criminal trial constitutes “double jeopardy” — and she did it quickly, with a smile.
Rivera has been on something of a rehab tour since leaving Fox News, but every once in a while, his loyalty to his former friend Trump and his former media milieu resurfaces.
On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN’s Laura Coates Live, Geraldo appeared on camera with ex-CNN host Brian Stelter for the first time, and as the segment wrapped up, the pair engaged in some limited mutual admiration.
But after Geraldo dropped his “double jeopardy” suggestion into the mix, Coates circled back to stomp on it like a cigarette butt as she bid her guests good morrow:
STELTER: It matters because January 6th has been redefined. There has been a new narrative, a new reality presented by some folks on the right, on the far right. And Geraldo, to his credit, spoke out against Tucker Carlson for doing that, for promoting false flag conspiracy theories.
But it’s those conspiracy theories that have allowed Trump to return to center stage. I realized as I was writing this book, Trump was de- platformed. He was shamed out of the public square three years ago. But he was brought back to the center by these conspiracies about January 6th.
That’s why the federal trial, it’s one of the many reasons why it’s so important to put on under the scene what really happened and why, and to get away from all this nonsense about feds and false flags and government agents. It’s important that we speak out against those lies. I got to give Geraldo credit here since we’ve never been on T.V. together. He did speak out against that.
COATES: Geraldo, do you want to return that embrace?
(LAUGHTER)
RIVERA: I appreciate that.
STELTER: Oh, no, he doesn’t.
RIVERA: Yes, I appreciate that, Brian. I always thought that you were pretty good on T.V., too. But here’s my one big beef, Laura. I think that this is, you know, very — people can get their arms wrapped, their arms around this. I called for President Trump’s impeachment on the 7th day of January 2021. The day after January 6th, I said he deserved to be impeached. He was impeached by the House of Representatives, but then he was acquitted by the United States Senate. You know, I would have convicted him. The Senate acquitted him.
Doesn’t Jack Smith’s efforts in a way smack of double jeopardy? I mean, isn’t the impeachment process the way we punish errant presidents, people who violate the oath of their office? It just seems to me that a lot of these various lawsuits against Trump as outrageous as his behavior has been, and it really has been, in many cases, low down and dirty.
But still, he went before the United States Senate or he didn’t physically show up, but his case was litigated. The Senate acquitted him. You know, you needed two-thirds vote. He didn’t get anywhere near two-thirds vote for conviction. You know, that’s the Constitution.
And I saw your earlier segment of the lawsuit to keep him off the ballot in Colorado. It’s really — you know, it’s not for a state to determine who’s on the ballot for the presidential election. I think it’s really going ad hominem. They’re going after him in ways that generate sympathy for him, you know, exactly what you shouldn’t be.
COATES: Well, two points. One, thank you for watching the entire “Laura Coates Live” show, I do agree that it’s dynamite, 11:00 p.m. Eastern, weekdays. And number two, I will say it’s not double jeopardy, according to the law, because one was a political discussion —
RIVERA: I’m a big fan.
COATES: — and one was the — you know what, let’s not argue, fellas. I’m glad you both were here. Thank you so much.
Watch above via CNN’s Laura Coates Live.
